Have you visited our new building? Literacy Connects’ move in August has brought daily signs of change – new paint, new doors and new spaces in which to learn – but more importantly, new learning opportunities for our students.
The first thing you’ll see when you enter our new space is our Lending Library, a great example of the new connections happening in our new home. Before the move, the children’s library and the books for adult learners were at two different locations. Now, our blended library has books for learners of all levels, from infants to adults, and support materials for the tutors and coaches who work in our programs. The library has become a focal point for volunteers and students alike.
Omar Cunningham, one of our adult learners, has been taking classes with Literacy Connects for three months. When library coordinator Violet Kennedy told a few students recently that she was looking for volunteers to help with our regular Friday book cleanings, Omar stepped up.
“I am so grateful for these classes,” he said. “I have to return the favor.”
Over stacks of books and cleaning supplies on a recent Friday, Cunningham chatted with fellow students and other volunteers, including tutors and coaches who clean books as another way to support the students with whom they work. They talked about books, their families and their lives.
“Cleaning books allows students to engage with books in an ambient, no-pressure situation,” said Kennedy. “Many of the students have found books to further their own learning goals as a result of volunteering their time helping us provide gently used books to all of our programs.”
While he makes progress as a learner, Cunningham is also spreading the word about literacy. The last time he came to clean books, Cunningham brought a neighbor, an older woman who has no family here. He hopes her involvement with the book cleanings will help her gain the confidence to begin taking classes too.
Cunningham is not the only adult learner volunteering in the library, and this is not the only example of the unexpected synergies happening every day in our new home.
Our new space is sparking new thinking by students, volunteers and people from across the community who are finding better and more efficient ways to do what we do – provide high-quality, individualized support to learners of all ages.
